Having had the opportunity to experience Lexus‘ LFA firsthand, we can attest to its freakish performance and elegant handling all wrapped in a luxurious package. While its price tag has drawn criticism, it’s certainly not unheard of in the exotic segment and so EVO Magazine decided to compare (very expensive) apples to apples, pitting the Japanese supercar against Ferrari‘s 599 GTO – both vehicles with MSRPs just barely under the $400,000 mark. The result may be surprising to some, with EVO giving their nod to the LFA despite the 599 GTO’s quicker 0-60 time and higher top speed.

It goes without saying that no true auto enthusiast should judge a car simply by its acceleration and top speed, but the 599 GTO clocked a 0-60 time in just 3.8 seconds while the LFA was a solid few ticks behind at 4.2. The LFA’s top speed was recorded at 179-mph while the GTO easily outpaced it at 193-mph. But the article goes way beyond that, with EVO coming to the conclusion that Lexus now has a vehicle that tops Italy’s finest.

“What marks out the LFA for particular praise is its bravery and originality;” says EVO, “for Lexus to create such a car from scratch, with no evolutionary engineering or existing bias from which to work, is a remarkable achievement. Innovative, extreme, immaculately executed and exquisite to drive, it’s the greatest high-performance car Japan has ever produced.”

“Get hung up on the badge and you’ll be blind to its magic. Revel in its rarity, its rare abilities and the fact we’re unlikely to see its like again and you’ll understand why the LFA is one of the greats, and why this test ends with three unexpected, hard-won and thoroughly deserved words: Lexus beats Ferrari.”

Check out a video of EVO Magazine comparing the two cars after the jump.